Forum | New member, new owner!

Hey Jonathon,

It’s all a little varied really.  I was a bit of a collector for a while there, anything and everything, so I have a varied collection.  I’ve become a little more discerning of late — I love vintage watches, rather than modern ones, but in the main, they’re a little small.  I’m 6’2″, with proper mans wrists, so titchy watches look daft.

I’ve recently bought a very nice 1971 Omega Speedmaster, which sits in a collection of 5 existing Omega’s — some modern (PO, SMP, AT) and a couple of vintage niceties.  I have some gorgeous Accutron’s, but they are too small for me, if I’m being honest.  A number of other mainstream brands — Breitling Colt Super Ocean, Chopard GTXL, Ticino (IWC Big Pilot homage), a couple of classic-looking (but relatively new) IWC (Portuguese and FA Jones) and some other stuff to boot.

With all that in mind, the surprising thing is that I really love old Timex’s.  I have around 450 in various states of disrepair, and love nothing more than sitting around when I’m supposed to be working and bringing one back from the dead.  Other than riding my Guv, of course :)

Above all, it’s got to be traditional, it can’t be electric (other than the Accutron’s, obviously) and I’ve got to like it!

Regards

Richard

Hey Al, only if houses are really cheap where you live!

All those Timex’s probably wouldn’t but a Guvnor, if I’m being honest.

The Omega’s can be pricy, but they are a quality timepiece.  Oddly enough, the vintage ones are cheaper than you may think — I don’t think I paid more than £100 for the older ones, although the Speedy was a little more :)

Love those bikes you posted, btw.  I feel a new thread coming on — show us your “fake” Guvnor’s - there seem to be a few around

Richard

And no offence meant this end either — maybe “homage” would be better 

I’ve got my own fakey.  When I saw the Guvnor, I couldn’t wait to buy one in the flesh.  Sadly I’ve got too little money, too little garage space and too little self-control!  My solution was to use an old mountain-bike frame (a Giant, IIRC) and turn it into something with a little more class.

A strip-down and respray (in a lovely minty-green, inspired by a Charge Grinder or Plug, I think), a set of north-road bars, a quill stem, the obligatory Brooks saddle, 5 speed on a stem-changer and a massive pair of Schwalbe Fat Franks later and it looks like a totally individual bike, for a good reason — it is!

It’s not a Pashley by any stretch of the imagination, but it saw me through last winter (with Bluemels 1970’s shorty mudguards) and has just seen me right during a week commuting 10 miles each way through the central London.  Love it to bits, but it’s just not a Guv, is it?  I did knacker a gear whilst commuting, so it was stuck in 4th for the last day or so, which was interesting in rush hour, so the plan now is to put the bars the right way up, and turn it into a comfy, stylish single speeder.

I’ve seen a number of bikes modeled on old north-road/path racers since the Guv was launched and I think if it’s got cream tyres, it’s going to be compared to the Pashley, don’t you think?  It’s not a criticism (especially not on this forum!).  Interestingly the picture you posted above has cream tyres, were they de-riguer on the originals, or is that entirely inspired by the Guv?  Excuse my ignorance.

I do love the clean fixie look, with no levers, no cables.  I have a cruiser with a coaster brake and no gears which achieves the same thing but with less panache.

Take it as a compliment, it’s classy!